Numsa's utterances offensive to alliance: Satawu

The National Unions of Metalworkers of SA's (Numsa) "utterances" against the tripartite alliance are offensive, the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) said on Friday.

   

"Never in the alliance has it happened that the alliance suffers the daily vitriolic attacks waged by Numsa in the manner that undermines the integrity of all its components," Satawu spokesman Vincent Masoga said in a statement.

 

"We view the sole objective of this act being to paralyse the tripartite alliance internally and externally, and leave it bleeding and reeling with controversies that erode its confidence away from the members and constituencies."

 

Satawu completed its three-day central executive committee meeting on Friday.

 

Masoga said it agreed that if certain people and trade unions failed to respect the principles and the constitution of the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), "then it will be relevant for them to find new homes out of the federation".

 

Masoga said that although Satawu respected Cosatu's call for a special congress, it opposed the call to elect new leaders of Cosatu.

 

"... There is no crisis of leadership within Cosatu," it said.

 

"Satawu CEC reiterates and affirms the Cosatu CEC's decisions that there is no need for a special congress, there is no agenda for it and the current national office bearers (NOBs) must continue to execute their roles as enshrined in the constitution."

 

Last week, Numsa's general secretary Irvin Jim said the union was being isolated by the African National Congress and the SA Communist Party after coming to the defence of suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

 

"We don't understand why Numsa should be isolated," Jim said at the time.

 

He said SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande had been reported as saying Numsa was working with dirty money to bankroll other affiliates.

 

"Whatever rands and cents we have come from our members. We don't need Nzimande's permission to run a special national congress."

 

Nine of Cosatu's 19 affiliates called for a special national congress after Vavi was placed on special leave in August for having an affair with a junior employee.

 

In September, Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini said Vavi did not feature in the unions' reasons for calling the special congress. 

 

Numsa has lodged an application in the High Court in Johannesburg challenging Vavi's suspension.

 

Cosatu, after its three-day central executive committee meeting last week, asked Numsa to withdraw its court challenge.

 

On Tuesday, Numsa president Cedric Gina resigned. 

 

Numsa's deputy secretary general Karl Cloete said there was no possibility of Gina's reinstatement as he had removed himself. 

 

-Sapa

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